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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · capital · craft · hand · hide · saw · season · lean

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hand — help
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. board — a committee
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. board — to get on
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. season — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — a city
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. capital — money
  19. season — of the year
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com